A shire story
by Guard-of-the-citadel
Summary: Chapter three up!-Frodo's Parents died, and he has to go live at brandyhall-R&R please
1. Alone

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THESE HOBBITS.  
  
Young Frodo Baggins (Only 12 or so) lived with his mother and father.   
  
The morning was shining bright through the   
  
windows in Frodo's bedroom. Under the covers Frodo awoke, and pushed his covers off of himself. He sat up.  
  
Something was different today, The usual scent of fresh breakfast that leaked under his door every morning   
  
was gone. Slowly he crawled out of bed, he opened the door to the   
  
kitchen expecting his parents sitting there, nothing was there. He looked at the   
  
table, and remembered his 12th birthday only a few weeks ago, the cake with 12   
  
burning candles, and the smiling faces of his parents.   
  
All of Frodo's playmates envied him for his parents, Mrs. Baggins always had some freshly baked   
  
cookies and rice cakes for the children, and a smiling face to go with it, Mr.   
  
Baggins always spent a few hours a day with his son, and Helped him with his   
  
school work. Frodo went out of the kitchen to go sneak into his parent's   
  
bedroom, he opened it, but this too was empty. "That's odd" Frodo murmured to   
  
himself. He searched the rest of the house, it too was empty, he saw that   
  
his Parents hat and coat was missing. They never went anywhere without   
  
him.... but he thought, This must be a surprise, maybe they went to buy me a   
  
present!. He smiled, and jumped on the couch to wait.  
  
~meanwhile~  
  
An urgent knock sounded at Brandy hall, "Get the door!" someone shouted in one of   
  
the many rooms. Esmerlda shouted "Just a minute" and went to answer the   
  
door, a white faced man, or hobbit rather, was there gasping for breath as if he had run a long   
  
distance. "Whatever is the matter? You look as if you have seen a ghost." Mrs.   
  
Brandybuck said. "Two...two....dead..." the man said between gasps.   
  
"WHAT?" Mr. Saradoc Brandybuck came to join his wife, "Dead you say?   
  
Two? Hobbits?" Saradoc asked, "Yes.... two.... they look as if they've drowned"   
  
"who?" "Primula,... and Drogo Baggins" Saradoc face turned white, and he grabbed   
  
his coat. "Show me."  
  
Frodo was getting impatient, Where were they? It was getting late, he was hungry, and  
  
there was no sign that they were coming home.. "Well," Frodo said to himself, "I guess  
  
I'll just have to go look for them." His determined look passed his face, and he marched towards the door,  
  
(forgeting about his coat)And Started down the road, to the market.  
  
Many people were gathered around the edge of the River. Frodo pushed through them. Two bodies lay on the   
  
shore of the Brandywine, Two hobbits were white with deathly looks on their faces.   
  
Frodo gasped in horror, as he identified them as his parents. 


	2. Brandyhall

A/N: sorry for such a short chapter last time. I had   
  
a time limit, and I wrote that in 20 minutes. Sorry- anyway-  
  
~a week later~  
  
At the Mayor's office Frodo sat in a chair next to the Mayor, as he   
  
talked on and on.   
  
Before the Meeting, Bilbo Baggins (his favorite cousin)   
  
sat Frodo on his lap, and whispered in his ear, "Boy, where ever you end up,   
  
remember, I'll come and Visit you, and you can come to Bag end, and we can chat   
  
awhile." Frodo smiled, "Yes Uncle Bilbo." Thinking of this,  
  
Frodo thought to himself as he sat in the chair, unaware What the Mayor was saying.   
  
Uncle Bilbo always cheers me up... "Frodo Baggins is to go to The Brandybucks." The Mayor   
  
Confirmed. Saradoc, stood up, and spoke to the Mayor a little while, then   
  
came over to Frodo, "This'll be fun won't it?" Frodo weakly managed a fixed   
  
grin. "Come on dear" Mrs. Brandybuck said. Frodo could tell they   
  
were trying hard to cheer him up, It wasn't working at all, How could he be   
  
Happy? He was having a hard time believing that Saradoc wasn't more upset about   
  
his sister drowning. Frodo had only been to Brandy hall a few times, but Mrs.   
  
and Mr. Brandybuck were practically strangers, And they were making Frodo a bit   
  
Uncomfortable. Mr. Brandybuck wore a big grin, to match Mrs. Brandybuck.   
  
Bilbo came over to Frodo, "Goodbye Lad, Remember to write!" Bilbo whispered, "Yes uncle   
  
Bilbo, I won't forget... Goodbye uncle Bilbo!" Frodo threw his arms around   
  
Bilbo. " Come on now!, get in the carriage." Sadness went through Frodo, as he  
  
reluctantly climbed in. He watched as the carriage rolled away from the mayor's office, And Bilbo   
  
waving, distantly fading as the carriage rolled away. Frodo tried to look out   
  
the window, to avoid talking, but Mr. and Mrs. Brandybuck wouldn't stop asking   
  
questions... "So Frodo, what is your favorite game?" Asked Mr.   
  
Brandybuck. "I don't know." Frodo said. And Mr. Brandybuck started on about a   
  
story of his childhood which Frodo only heard bits and pieces of, "I was looking   
  
so forward to it, But then The girl canceled..." and "I couldn't find it, I   
  
searched everywhere for it and then-" and then he began a conversation about   
  
food crops, "I tried to grow it, But it just Wouldn't grow" Saradoc gave a Deep   
  
hearty laugh, and Frodo saw Esmerelda give Saradoc a warning glance, and He   
  
quieted immediately, but the silence didn't last long, as the carriage came to a   
  
halt in a tall two story building called Brandy hall. An apple tree stood in the   
  
front yard, with a girl, one year older it seemed, sitting cross legged under   
  
the tree, arms crossed. She looked quite sour in the face, And when she   
  
saw the carriage, she picked herself up, brushed off her skirt, and marched   
  
indoors. The carriage driver opened the door and said, "Welcome to Brandy   
  
Hall"   
  
Frodo stepped out of the carriage, and looked at the Two story   
  
hobbit hole, called 'buck hill' with his big bright blue eyes. Mr. Brandybuck opened   
  
the door, a rug stained it seemed with some sort of wine, the wallpaper peeled a bit   
  
here and there. There was something wrong with the place... It seemed   
  
Too big for comfort. "Meli? Come here!" Mrs. Brandybuck shouted.   
  
The sour faced girl came, with a little girl trailing her steps.   
  
Meli looked Frodo up and down until saying, "Yes Aunty?" she said in   
  
a sickly sweet way. "Will you show Frodo to his Room? Thank you dear."   
  
When Mrs. Brandybuck left, Meli looked at Frodo, "So, your parents   
  
died eh?" She Asked in a quick fast way, Frodo looked at her, and then   
  
down at his feet. "Do you talk?" asked Meli. "Yes I do." Frodo said   
  
stiffly. "Oh, just...wondering. come on." When Meli started going up   
  
the stairs, Frodo stopped, "I have to...to go up there?" Frodo (like   
  
most hobbits) didn't like hights. "yes, it's the only available room,   
  
and I'm not going to give you mine." she snapped. Frodo Reluctantly   
  
started to climb the stairs. When they reached the top of the stairs,   
  
and old man staggered around the hall, murmuring something inaudible.   
  
"Is he...mad?" asked Frodo, The man looked at him, and grabbed Frodo's   
  
arm, pulling him close, "Have you seen the soap?" the mad man asked.   
  
"n-no.." Frodo said, and the old man staggered off, murmuring "Must find   
  
it, can't have gone far..." Meli immediately answered Frodo's   
  
thoughts, "Everyone says, He's been looking for the soap that his wife   
  
slipped on, and knocked herself out on the bath tub, drowning." This   
  
didn't bring Happy memories to Frodo. "Everyone calls him Great great   
  
Grandfather Brandybuck...so I guess you can too."  
  
~Meanwhile in Hobbiton.~  
  
Bilbo looked at his pocket watch, he figured he'd go for a   
  
walk. He went outdoors, where Mr. Gamgee was gardening, " Good Morning Gaffer."   
  
Bilbo said as he was going out the Gate, "Morning Mr. Bilbo."   
  
said Mr. Gamgee. Bilbo was in thought as he walked, I wonder how Frodo   
  
is doing? These thoughts raced through his mind. Underneath Bagend lived   
  
the Gamgees. Bell, was a mother of two girls, and three boys, Samwise   
  
who was two, was sleeping. Hamfast the middle boy was braiding ropes   
  
with his brother Hamson. Mr. Gamgee called the Gaffer came in, and   
  
shouted at the girls, "Why don't you go fix lunch?" Mr. Gamgee, was   
  
stern, but he had a heart of Gold, lately though he was getting tired,   
  
and more irritable. Perhaps it was because of the new member of the   
  
family Just another mouth to feed is maybe what he thought He layed down   
  
on the couch, Hamfast sometimes helped with the Gardening. But he made   
  
an excuse Today that he was 'sick'. So, not wanting him to pass out, The   
  
Gaffer did it all by himself. Mrs. Gamgee looked at him, "Your getting   
  
too old-" she started, but Mr. Gamgee argued back, he hated being called   
  
old, "I'm fine. Just need some rest." He argued back, with that he layed   
  
down, and fell asleep.  
  
Frodo was unpacking, when a loud bell erupted   
  
through the whole Of Brandy hall, when he heard a loud yell, "DINNER!"   
  
What sounded like a stampede that shook the whole building went down the   
  
hall, Frodo peered out cautiously, and walked out to the Dining room,   
  
dozens of people sat in chairs at a long table, and Mrs. Brandybuck   
  
ushered him to a seat. Endless bits of conversation went back, and forth   
  
down the table. he ate alittle bit, when everyone was finished, they were   
  
going to open a bottle of wine, He asked to be excused. He went strait   
  
to his room, layed down in his bed, and cried himself to sleep. 


	3. The Tooks Arrival

Frodo awoke, to excitement all around, and murmers of, "I Can't believe it!"   
  
Frodo Rubbed sleep out of his eyes, and rolled out of bed. Saradoc was singing, and   
  
children were screaming. Frodo, "What is going on?" He asked Meli.   
  
"Aunt Esmeralda is having a baby!"  
  
As a few months passed, Frodo could still not believe his Aunt was going to have a   
  
baby. Preperations for the new 'addition' were being made. And Uncle Saradoc and   
  
Aunt Esmerelda were both searching for names (of course Saradoc wanted a boy to   
  
take over 'Master of Buckland', and Esmerelda wanted a girl.) "How about Lilly?"   
  
Esmerelda would say, "Nah, Hows about Meriadoc?" Saradoc would answer back,so   
  
they finally desided, Lilly if it was a girl, Meriadoc if it was a   
  
boy. Frodo sighed, and went out doors, seems like everyone had a family   
  
of their own, except him. He walked down the road, hatred, and sadness   
  
filled him again like everyday as he saw the Brandywine. Remembering his   
  
parents, like it was only yesterday, His smiling face as he smoked his pipe, Her   
  
delious cakes she made, and how she used to sing him asleep. A tear ran down   
  
Frodo's cheek, and Suddenly a girl's voice said, "Why are you crying?" It was   
  
Meli Brandybuck, Frodo rubbed the tear away angerly, "I'm not." He replied,   
  
"Is it about your parents?" She asked, Like a tital Emotion of sadness filled   
  
him, "no." He did not think he could say anymore cause he might burst out   
  
crying, and that would be a tale all over the shire. Meli was nice, yet a   
  
bit bossy, and a bit vain. Meli brushed a curl out of her face. "Yes it is."   
  
She said. "No it's not. I...I'm going for a walk." and he turned, leaving her   
  
calling his name. more tears came down his face, and he felt his face get hot.   
  
He needed to get a hold on himself, He sniffed, and desided to go to the gardens   
  
of Brandyhall. The big apple orchards stood with tree after tree that   
  
held huge red apples the brandybucks called 'buck apples' they were quite   
  
delicous. Frodo took one from the tree, and bit into it-ow! Frodo touched his   
  
mouth with his finger, and when he removed it, blood was on it. His tooth had   
  
fallen out, and he ran indoors, "Aunt Esmerelda!!!!" He was called. The maid   
  
stopped him, "Wha' do you want? Don't bother the mistress!" She said in her   
  
thick cockney accent. Frodo showed her the tooth, "No matter, come on with me,   
  
an' we'll fix it all up." She ushered him away into the kitchen, and Gave him a   
  
hankerchief to apply presure so that the bleeding would stop. When it   
  
did, she said, "There, isn't tha' better?" Frodo nodded, and she scurried him   
  
out of the kitchen, "go on now! and be quiet!, your auntie needs rest."   
  
The day was drawing nearer, and nearer towards the day that Lilly or   
  
Meriadoc would arrive. And the final steps of the nursery were being made.   
  
Emeralda, and Saradoc had an Argument on what color the walls would be painted,   
  
"PINK!" "BLUE!" "PINK!" "BLUE!" were the only words that they would say to each   
  
other, Saradoc finaly got his way, and they painted it blue. Letters were being   
  
sent back and forth all around the Shire that there would be a new family   
  
member. Paladin, Esmeralda's brother was also coming over with his wife. Frodo   
  
didn't really know them, all he knew was that Paladin was his great uncle's,   
  
son's son. Manners were being pushed on him mostly by Esmeralda cause she wanted   
  
Her family to look respectable to the Tooks (mostly her brother who had warned   
  
her againt marrying saradoc), as they were the richest family. The Day   
  
that the Tooks Carriage pulled into the front of Brandy hall was quite a rush as   
  
the date that they would be coming got mixed up somehow. When They knocked on   
  
the door of brandyhall, all was busy there, Hobbits rushing around, almost   
  
frantically, and the maids were putting up curtains for the baby's   
  
room. "I'll get it!" Frodo shouted, he was hoping it was a letter from   
  
Bilbo, who had only written once to him. Frodo quite rudely (cause he didn't   
  
know it was the tooks) Flung open the door. Frodo stopped, as he saw who it was.   
  
Paladin Took had a head of brown curls, and green eyes, His Blue coat was nicely   
  
pressed as if it had never been worn before and an embordiered hankerchief stuck   
  
out from his top coat pocket with his initials on it, A pocket watch chain   
  
clipped to his belt hung loosely but neatly. he raised an eyebrow at Frodo, and   
  
started to take off his gloves, "is Esmeralda here?" Frodo only nodded, closed   
  
the door in Paladin's face, and called, "AUNT ESMERALDA!!!!" Esmeralda came into   
  
the front hallway, and said, "What is it Frodo? the walls aren't that thick!!"   
  
Frodo replied, "Mr. Took is here." Esmeralda looked shocked as she looked at her   
  
messy hair, and dirty apron in the mirror, "They weren't supposed to come til   
  
next week!" she muttered, "invite them in, show them to the longe, and stall   
  
them, tell them i'll be with them in a minute." she dashed off, suprisingly   
  
quick. Frodo reopened the door, with an iritated Paladin, and miffed wife, "Um,   
  
come in." Frodo did a quick bow, and showed them to the lounge, "Um, make   
  
yourself comfortable, Aunt Emeralda will be here as soon as possible, uh....   
  
rice cake?" Frodo offered, Paladin kind of curled his nose and said, "no Thank   
  
you, little boy." Esmeralda came in with a pretty dress, and pulled back hair,   
  
dragging a sleepy Saradoc in a bright suit that matched Paladin's except it was   
  
guady, and the master of Buckland symbel embrodered on the vest, that seemed   
  
smaller. Frodo tried not to laugh, as he saw the pair, they looked quite   
  
foolish, they were quite Different from each other, but Frodo dared not laugh.   
  
They started talking about relitives Frodo didn't know, and he snuck out of   
  
there, as it seemed like a death trap to Frodo as he rememered the words that   
  
Esmerelda had said, "If you make a mistake, just one, then you will not have   
  
dinner for two weeks!!!!!!!!!" Frodo supposed she was iritable and stressed from   
  
the baby, and cleaning. Then Frodo thought, Just another day at   
  
Brandyhall. 


End file.
